Numbering-machine for printing-presses.



M. A. COURTNEY. NUMBERING MACHINE FOR PRINTING PRESS ES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29| 1916.

Patented May 1,1917

mass srarns PATENT ormcn.

MINIDER A. COURTNEY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOCHARLES R. PATTERSON, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917;

Application filed September 29, 1916. Serial No. 122,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MINDER A. COURTNEY, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jeflerson and Stateof Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNumbering-Machines for Printing- Presses, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to automatic numbering machines for printingpresses.

The object of my invention is to adapt such numbering machines as usedon flat bed or platen presses to print the numerals of the number in acolor different from that of the general form and to accomplish this endby making only one impression and without change ormodification of thepress itself or its normal inking arrangements.

My preferred manner of accomplishing my object is to adapt the framecarrying the numeral dials to recede below type high level during thepass of the inking roll and to be automatically raised to type highlevel by the action of the cylinder or platen so that by means of aribbon the numerals can be printed in any color contrasting with therest of the printed matter. The depression of the plunger carrying theprefix No. by the printing platen or cylinder to automatically advancethe dials step by step is the means I prefer to use to raise the dialsinto printing position. I also provide an ink font and rollers forinking the numbering ribbon which can be blocked in conveniently in theframe, the rollers being moved by the plunger to advance the ribbon.

These arrangements are those which I prefer, but I claim broadly to bethe first to adapt a numbering machine to do two color work of thecharacter described without chang in the press, and as it will en ableme to print checks, tickets, transfers and like two color work, whichnow requires two impressions and two set ups, with a single impressionand set up, I thus save one half of the labor and time now requlred forsuch work. I desire to claim as part of I my present invention any suchadaptation of the numbering machine as will enable it, by means of anyindividual inking means, to print its numerals of a different color fromthe general form.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which Figure 1shows my improved two color prlnting numbering machine and itsindividual inking apparatus in plan. I

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2-2 and 33,respectively, of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

The numbering machine which I have adapted for use in accordance with myinvention is of the type customarily used by printers, and comprises amain U-shaped frame having end walls 1 and 3 and a base 2 which extendsbeyond the wall 3 and forms the bottom of the compartment 4 for adepressible plunger 5. The plunger is normally raised by a spring 6resting'on the bottom 2 below the plunger and I provide 1n its innerside face a transversely elongated slot 7 which receives a pin 8 onv theupper end of a crank arm 9 mounted to rotate on a journal pin 10 whichrocks in a bearing in the end wall 3 of the main frame and iseccentrically connected or jointed to the cylinder 11 upon which arerotatably mounted the numeral printing dials 12. As shown there are siXof these dials which are juxtaposed and each provided with a ratchetwheel 13, each ratchet Wheel being engaged on one side by a dog 14 andon the opposite side by a pawl 15 which is pressed against the ratchetWheel by its spring 16. The several dogs 14 are mounted rigidly upon aspring pressed shaft 17 which is journaled in the walls 1 and 3 of theframe, the dogs, in the manner well understood, being of clifferentlength and set at different angles so as to effect the proper step bystep advancing 9 of the type dials during the operation of the machine.The pawls 15 and springs 16 however are mounted on a floating frame- 18which is also U-shaped and comprises vertical end walls 19 and 20, whichwalls fit loosely between the walls 1 and 3 of the main frame and havecircular openings therein to receive and rest on to the ends of the typedial cylinder 11. This floating frame is provided with an arcuate slot21 which receives a guide pin 22 fast in the wall 3 and adapted to holdthe floating frame in upright position as it is vertically shifted bythe eccentric action of the cylinder 11 when the latter turns about thecen- .bers.

ter of its supporting bearing pins 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the side wallof the plunger is cut away at 28 to receive the lever 9, and permit thelatter to rock aboutits bearing 10. as the plunger rises and falls, andin thus moving to raise and lower the floating frame from full line todotted position, Fig. 2. Theplunger carries a type 24: for printing theprefix No. of the same color as that used on the inking roll of thepress. Each of the type, dials carries the type numerals from O to 9arranged scriatz'm thereabout and adaptedin the manner wellunderstood tobe. advanced step by step beginning with the numeral dial of lowestorder and carrying from dial to dial as impressions are taken and theplunger 5 is reciprocated, each reciprocation serving to increase thenumber by. one.

It is not the. purpose of my present invention to! claim any specialfeatures or changes in. respect of. this well understood methodofoperating the dials ofa number- 111g. machine, my. object being tomodify it only to, such extent as is necessary'to adapt it toperform newand. additional functions in respect of two color work. Heretofore. thereciprocation. of the plunger 5 by. the printing cylinder or platen hasserved to rock the floating frame 18 insuch manner as-to. cause theresetting of the dials by the dogs 14' to. print serially. increasingnum My preferred arrangement for adapting: thenumeral dials to print ina different color from that of the plunger type, consists. in the.provision of an endless inking ribbon 2.5 which passes over, the severaldials andv then about a. guide roll 26 mounted at the lower right handcorner-of, the floating frame. From this point the ribbon passes underthe mainframe. through a guide way. 27 and thence passes around a roll;28 journaled ona removable bearing pin 29 which is mounted in anextension casing, 30. that: carries the inking font 31 and the ink drum32 andthe ink roll- 33, whicliare respectively journaled onremovablebearing-pins and 35. After passing around the roll 28 theribbon passes under a gravity acting take-up roll 36 which ismounted onthe freeend of a pivoted lever 37, and thence passes. above the dogs 1&to the type. dials. The drum 32.and:roll 28 are harclmetal rolls and theintermediate inkingroll is a. composition roll. The font: is mounted'toswing. about apivot pin 38 andby meansof set screws 39 is pressedagainst the drum 82. so asto apply a thin surface coatingonly of the inkthereto, in the manner well understood in'this art. A hinged top cover40 overhangs andprotects-the ink font. The casing 30. forms asubstantial continuation of equal width withthe main frame. 2. and hasat its end an extension 41, equal in. length to the plunger casing soand not of the inking roll.

that it can be conveniently blocked in the printing frame. The drum 32is fast on its ournalpin 34 which has mounted on its outer end a ratchetwheel. 42 and a rocking lever a3 carrying a pawl as disposed to engagethe ratchet whichturns with the roll and advance both counter-clockwiseas the lever is rocked. The lever 43 is pivotally connected by a link L5to a stud'tS on the near upper corner of the floating frame 18 and theparts are so designed that theupward swinging movement of the floatingframe and dials toward their printing position will retract the pawl a lsufficiently to engage a succeeding tooth on the ratchet wheel 42 and onthe spring pressed return of the floating frame from printing positionthe pawl will advance the inking drum 32 one step and the rolls 33 and28 will be rotated at the same time and the ribbon both inked andadvanced. To aline and facilitate the connection of the frame of thenumbering. and inking machines either of such frames is provided withdowel pins 46 in its end walls and the other frame is pro vided withdowel pin holes. The link 45 is readily. disconnectible at either end,and by the removal of set screws-47 the journal pin 29 of: the end roll28 canlbe slipped out, thus permitting the roll to be removed and theribbon to be released, whereupon the two frames canv be disconnected.

In. operation, the font 31 is filled with ink ofthe desired color,generally red, and after the inking and numbering: machine. frames havebeen connected by their dowel pins, the ribbon 25 is passed about thenumbering machine parts in the manner desired andthe, roll'28 isinserted'in position so as to press the ribbon against the roll 33 whilethe take-up roll 36 holds it at the desired tension. The plunger 5, asis well understood, projects substantially above type high lever andasthe type dials, when in their lower position, are substantially belowthe type high lever, it follows that the passage of the yielding inkingroll over the numbering machine will neither depress the plunger nor inkthe ribbon over the type dials. l/Vhen the impression cylinder. or 11platen however engages the plunger its spring 6 is overcome and theplunger is depressed to type high level and inso moving it acts throughthe connections described to raise the floating frame and the type dialsalso into type high position when they will .print. through the ribbonupon the sheet,

the number being inthe color of-the ribbon Immediately upon the releaseof the plunger, its spring 6 raises the latter and lowers the type dialsin advance of the next passage of the inking roll and at the same timethe movement of the floating frame, through the link 45 andratchetconnections, will serve to turn the inking rolls and advance the ribbonstep by step. The inking ribbon has enough slack to provide for therelative movements between the roll 28 and the type dials, this slackbeing taken care of and the tension maintained by the take-up roll 36.It thus follows that with a single impression the prefix No. and thenumeral will be printed in different colors and without any modificationof the press.

It is of course Within. the contemplation of my invention that thesesame results may be accomplished by other than the preferred means whichI have described and I do not desire to be limited to the details ofconstruction shown but to claim as my invention as follows:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a plunger adapted tobefully depressed only by the printing element of a press, numeral typedials, mechanism controlled by the reciprocatory movements of theplunger to prevent the inking of the type dials by the press inkingmechanism when the plunger is raised and to present the dials forcooperation with the printing element of the press when the plunger islowered, and mechanism for inking the dials.

2. In a two-color printing numbering machine for presses, thecombination of a plunger depressible by the printing element of a press,numeral dials which are relatively adjusted by said plunger and whichset normally below the type high level, mechanism controlled by thedepression of the plunger for raising the dials to type high level, anda separate inking means for the dials, substantially as described.

3. An automatic numbering machine at tachment for printing presses,comprising a frame carrying a depressible plunger element, numeral typedials mounted for bodily movement in the frame, mechanism for relativelyadjusting the dials by the plunger 45 movements, mechanism controlled bythe depression of the plunger to raise to type high level the dialswhich are normally below such level, and means to ink the type on thedials.

4. In an automatic numbering machine attachment for printing presses,the combination of a main frame, a spring supported depressible plungertherein, a floating frame, type dials journaled in the floating frame,55 means controlled by the movements of the floating frame to relativelyadjust the dials, means controlled by the depression of the plunger toelevate the floating frame and present the dials in printing position,and

60 means for inking the dials, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic numbering machine attachment for printing presses, amain frame carrying a depressible spring supported 65 plunger, afloating frame having journaled therein a series of type dials, meanscon-- trolled by the plunger for moving the dials into printingposition, automatic mechanism for relatively advancing the dials toserially change the numbers to be printed, an inking ribbon movable overthe dials, and mechanism for inking the ribbon, substantially asdescribed.

6. An automatic numbering machine at tachment for printing pressescomprising a type bearing depressible plunger, a spring to support theplunger, type bearing movable dials, mechanism to cause said dials torise when the plunger is depressed and vice versa, an endless inkingribbon movable over the dials, and mechanism adjacent to the numberingmachine and adapted to both feed and ink the ribbon, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame carrying aspring supported, depressible type bearing plunger, type dials, abearing on which the dials are rotatable, means controlled by theplunger movement to raise and lower the dial bearing, and means to inkthe dials, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame carrying adepressible, spring supported, type bearing plunger, type dials, abearing on which the dials are rotatable, eccentric means controlled bythe plunger movements to raise and lower the dial bearing, and means toink the dials, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame carrying adepressible spring supported plunger, a crank mounted on the main frameand having a sliding connection with the plunger whereby it is rocked bythe vertical movements of the plunger, a type dial cylindereccentrically connected to said crank, type dials mounted to rotate onsaid cylinder, mechanism to relatively adjust the dials, and mechanismto ink the dials, substantially as described.

10. In combination, a numbering machine for' printing presses comprisinga main frame, a floating frame movably mounted in the main frame, aspring supported plunger in the main frame depressible by the printingelement of the press and adapted to control the movements of thefloating frame, type dials mounted in the floating frame, mechanismresponsive to the movements of the floating frame for relativelyadjusting the dials, an endless printing ribbon passing over the dialsand under the main frame, an extension casin feeding and inkingmechanism for the ribbon mounted in said casing, means to connect saidcasing to the main frame, and tension means to take up the slack of theribbon, substantially as described.

11. In combination, a numbering machine comprising a main frame having abottom slideway for the ribbon, a plunger and floating frame mounted inthe main frame and having operating connections, printing dials mountedin the floating frame, an endless ribbon passing over the dials andunder the main frame, an inking attachment for the .main framecomprising a removable roll about Which the ribbon passes, a sleektakeup for the ribbon, and mechanism operable responsive to themovements of the dials for both feeding and inking the ribbon.

12. The combination with a numbering machine having its type dialsvertically, movable and a plunger controlling the movements of thedials, of an inking attachment comprising rolls actuated responsive tothe plunger movements, and an endless ribbon for inking the dials whichis passed between adjacent roll-s, substantially as described;

13. The combination with a numbering machine having a plunger and dialswhich are relatively adjustable by the plunger movements, plungercontrolled means to move the dials into and below type high level, aribbon movable about the dials, an attachment comprising a casingdetachably connected tothe numbering machine and comprising an inkingfont and inking rolls, and mechanism responsive to the plunger movementsfor moving the rolls between two of which said ribbon passes,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afliX' my signature.

MINDER A. COURTNEY.

Witness:

NoMIE Wiinsn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

